TEXTS AND COMPOSERS:

Tim Winton’s – On Her Knees Topic: Importance of Dignity:
Every person in this world is dignified in their own way; whether it is their riches, power, friends, family or even the smallest and most insignificant things, alot of things bring pride and dignity to one’s self. ”Pride” is an essential part of life as it gives self esteem and a feeling of self importance. Good morning/afternoon classmates; today I’ll be talking to you about the importance of dignity within Tim Winton’s “On Her Knees”.
“On Her knees” is a powerful story that teaches and reinforces Tim Winton’s view of the true meaning of dignity. He accomplishes this through the use of “first person” making the text seem like an auto-biography of Carol, making her personal experiences seem more authenticated. Whether this story may be based on a true story or not, many of the occurrences within this short story are great examples of “The Importance Of Dignity”.
Carol (the mother of Victor), quits her job as a specialized employee in a medical office, and instead becomes a maid to pay off her son’s law school fees. Victor during these troubled times feels guilty but most importantly feels that Carol’s dignity is devalued, perhaps even destroyed due to the fact that she cleans other peoples houses “on her knees”. Victor does not understand how Carol could do things to such an extent, despite having done so for his sake, as he understands that it is hurting his mother’s pride as a once respected medical school graduate. He is able to sympathise for his mother as he himself is struggling to find his own dignity within his law school. Knowing that employment provides the basis of dignity, he is able to further sympathise with Carol. Hence, after looking at his mother’s actions and choices, he struggles to find the true meaning of dignity. “She earned a reputation in the riverside